Typographical distributing machine



Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,995

A. w. F. GUEST TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed May 26. 1927 I: r/ v Patented Feb. 28, 1928. i

ALFRED w. F. GUEST, OBS-BROOKLYN, New YORK,

PATENT caries.

ASSIGNOR. To MERGENTHALEBV LINOTYPE; COMPANY, A CORPORATIONJOF, NEW YORK.

TYPOGRAPHICAL, DISTRIBUTING. MACHINE.

Application filed May 26,

This invention relates to typographical machines, such as linotype machines ofthe general organization represented in U; S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. $6,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a channeled magazine in the order in which they are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with inplten metalto form aslug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter distributed according to character and returned through a channeled magazine entrance to the magazine from which they started. s

In these machines, the. magazine entrance is usually provided with aseries of parti tions which divide it into matrixchannels and which are. formed at their lower ends withbent-over flanges arranged toguide the matricesby. their projecting ears as they pass to the magazine. In, some instances,

. as whenthe entrance channels are extreme- V stri p oriplatewllich isioneijfl-ted b PP 1y wide, these flanges are formed on aux: iliary. guiding elements or leaf sections which are fastened to the partitions and disposedgat, an inclination thereto so as to contractrthe. channels toward their delivery ends,.see Kennedy. Patent No. 1,367,606. While such arrangement enables the entrance to handle matrices of varying thicknesses'inmany different fonts, its capacity is nevertheless limited. That is to say, the range in thickness of certain matrices of corresponding character in many-fonts, particularly those used in setting advertisingand display matter, is so greatthat some of the largest and smallest, faces are excluded from use in theregular machines. While the present invention; is intended primarily to obviate this difliculty by making oneor more of the aforesaid leaf sections adjustableto vary the widths of the respectivechannels and thusadapt the entrance 'to;handle the matrices of all available display fonts, it is directed morespecifically, to-certain; in

prove nents in the 1neans' ,en 1 ployed for ef-.

fecting such adjustments; Inthepreferred embodiment illustrated, the adj ustabl'e; leaf sections are hm Gdfigt their, upper ends and connected at. re atiyely different points, below their respective... hingeatn a. movable tended to other 1927. Serial N0..1B4,2'Z9.

cam rotatably mounted on the entrance sup porting frame. In the accompanying drawings, the inycntionis shown byway of example and as applied to a part cular kind of linotype machine, but oh viously manychanges and variations may be made therein and its application be extypes of machines without. departure from its spirit, It should, therefore, beunderstood that the invention, is not limitedto any specific fo an orembodiment except in so fares such limitations are specified in the claims. i i i i (a Referring to the drawings Fig. 1;,is a side elevationof a magazine entrance partly. broken away and equipped" with the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectionalplan view line 22 of'Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 isa transverse section taken on the. line 33 offFig. 1. i i

The, magazine entrance A, which is em,- ployed in machinesofthe class described to conduct the matrices from the distributor (not shownfto the magazine B, is divided into channels by the, partitions A} which bear a fixed relation to one, another andare spaced'difl'erent distances apart to better accommodate a display font of maximum thickness; In adapting the channels to ban? dle the matrices of I i the partitions A are usually provided with inclined guiding elements, or leaf sections A, which are connected at their upper ends to the partitions A and are. for-fr ed 111-, though not necessarily so) at their lower ends with. bent-over flanges a for guiding the matrices by their projecting ears; Spac mg blocks a? of, varying tliicknesses while not essential, are-preferably interposed be: tweenthe lower ends. of tlieleaf sections A and the adjoining partitions to maintainthe former at the inclinationI desired, The widths ofthe channels are thus contracted in advance oftlie flanges a so that the thinmerely in preferred form and taken onthe thinner fonts, however,

ner matrices in descending through the relatively wide channels up and causedto enter proper position. There are a' number of characters, however, whose rangein thickness in the different display fonts is so reat thahif the leaf, sections, A? be space u far. enough ,fromthe opposing partitions to alwill be straightened the. magazine in, the

low the thickest matrices to pass freely therebetween, the thinner matrices of the corresponding character in passing through the same channels would be allowed to tilt at such an angle that their projecting ears would fail to properly engage the flanges a and likely become lodged beneath them so as to cause a piling up of succeeding inatrices.

To overcome the above difficulty, certain of the leaf sections, instead of being rigidly connected to the partitions, are made adjustable in relation thereto so as to vary the widths of the respective channels according to the thickness of the corresponding characters being used. These particular. leaf sections A are hingedly mounted at their upper ends on trunnions a which are journaled in small bracket members A riveted.

to the partitions A The bracket members A (see Figs. 1 and 2) are formed with beveled or inclined portions a which lit against the side faces of the partitions and present smooth guiding surfaces to the descending matrices. The adjustments of the leaf sections A are accomplished by means of a longitudinal plate or strip C which is slidably mounted for endwise movement in the entrance supporting frame A and arranged below the lower end portions of the partitions A forming in effect a section of the bottom plate of the entrance. A pin and slot connection C located at opposite ends of the strip, restrains it against displacement and permits the endwise movement desired. So far as described, the parts are or may be the same as those embodied in the pending application of G. A. Doxey, Serial No. 171,927, and in themselves constitute no part of the present invention.

Since the relative thickness of the various matrix characters is approximately the same in the different display fonts, it is very important that the leaf sections A be capable of a corresponding relative adjustment in order to vary the widths of the respective entrance channels according to the size of the particular font selected. In other words, all of the said leaf sections should have the same rate of adjustment but the extent of their adjustment individually should vary according to the widths of the respective channels. For example, if one channel were half the width of an other, the extent of adjustment of its respective leaf section should, generally speaking, be half of that of the leaf section for the wider channel. The present invention, therefore, contemplates means whereby such adjustments may be accurately effected and consistently carried out for all of the leaf sections A in handling display fonts of the different sizes. To this end, the

' leaf sections A are connected to the plate V at different predetermined distances below their respective pivotal axes a so that all of them will be adjusted in the manner required by each operation of said strip. It is obvious that the leaf sections might be connected to the plate C in different ways, but in the presentemibodiment there are employed pins 0 which protrude above the top of the plate C between the partitions and the leaf sections and are arranged to engage the leaf sections at the desired point below their respective axes. Since the leaf sections A are alike in form and all of them are hinged to the partitions A at the same distance above the delivery end of the en trance, the extent of their adjustment may be readily determined by locating the pins in the proper relation to their respective hinges. It is, of course, conceivable that, as an alternative, the pins could be arranged in alignment and the hinges located at different distances above the pins, but this would involve a separate die for each leafv section and be otherwise objectionable.

In orderto effect the adjustment of the leaf sections with the desired degree of accuracy, the plate C is operated by means of a rotary cam, element D arranged adjacent one end thereof and mounted to turn upon a suitable bearing screw D threaded into the entrance frame A,see Fig. 3. The inner side of the cam element D is formed with a series of stepped banking surfaces cl andintervening cam surfaces d which engage a hardened stud C supported in a small bracket C secured to the plate C. A light pull spring C, anchored to the entrance frame and connected to the plate C, tends constantly to hold the latter against one or another of the banking surfaces (Z. The cam element D, in the present instance, is rotated by hand and, to facilitate the operation, is further formed with a peripheral knurled surface D Suitable scale markings C, such as those shown in Fig. 2, are also provided to assist the operator in adjusting the leaf sections for any selected font ranging from 5% to 36 pt. These markings are formed on the plate C and-are adapted to register with a corresponding mark on the bottom plate of the entrance as the cam element is rotated.

According to the foregoing arrangement, when it is desired to adjust the leaf sections A to conform to a new matrix font, the 03111,

element is rotated in one direction or the other to bring a selected banking surface opposite the stud C If a thinner font is to be substituted for the one being use, the cam element is turned in an anti-clockwise direction, and as the stud C rides over the bevels or cam surfaces d the spring C is allowed to draw the plate C to the right. The pins a will thus be caused to swing the leaf sections in the same d rection to decrease the widths of the respective channels to theexpins 0; Inchangingifnom-athin.to,athicker font, the cam element is turnedrin the oppo: site direction: so.- as; to 01138}; the. platefC to the left. against the. tension ofathe) spring:

and while. the. pins by such peration do not; actually? move the: freely-p hinged: leaf-'2 sections to expand the channelsytheyeare ins,

tended to support them.- atthe. proper. inclination, it being understood: that the first: matrix ofjth newlywselectedrfontsin passing; through the channels ,williswingthe leaf-see: tions thein normal; adjusted: positions against the pins. If, however;,it should be found desirable to swing -the leaf sections positively in both directions to their different adjusted positions, the pins 0 could readily be substituted by cars formed on the bottom edge of the respective leaf sections and permanently engaging corresponding apertures in the plate C, but the results of course would be precisely the same. Due to their location between the partitions and the hinged leaf sections, the adjusting pins 0 never lie in the path of travel of the matrices, which thus have a free passage through the magazine entrance in any adjusted positrance provided with a tion of the leaf sections. Many other changes and variations will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art and still be comprised vithin the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Pat- 'entof the United States is as follows:

1. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a magazine entrance provided with a plurality of partitions dividing it into channels, with guiding elements adjustable relatively to the partitions, and operating means connected to said elements and adapted at each operation to adjust all of them simultaneously but to different relative extents, for the purpose described.

2. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a magazine entrance provided with a plurality of artitions dividing it into channels of di erent widths, with adjustable leaf sections attached at their upper ends to the partitions, and a movable strip'connected to said leaf sections and adapted at each operation to adjust all of them simultaneously but to different relative extents according to the widths of the respective channels.

3. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a-magazine enlurality of partitions dividing it into cliannels, with leaf sections mounted on hinges within the channels,. and means engaging the leaf sections at different points below their respective hinges-1 for tiveextents, or, thepurposeudescribed;

4,,12n aitypogmphical; distributing Ind.

chine, the wmhination of. a. magazine entrances presided}; with 1, a; plurality of partiioaisdividi g it into cha nels d rent adjusting.- them to, different; rela widtha, with leaf; sections; hinged; to the,

Pa itions: on a; common; line, and I means en.-

galging theleaf; sections at different points below their respective hinges fort adjusting them to different relative extents according he widths. fis tlwchann ls fi -In a ,1 typographical distributing Ina-x chine thc, combination of a magazineem trance pnovided with a plurality ofparti-J tions; dividing; it, into .cl annels of different widths, with leaf sections hinged to the partitions on a common line, and unitary means engaging the leaf sections at relatively different points below their respective hinges for adjusting them simultaneously but to different relative extents according to the widths of said channels.

6.In a typographical distributing ma chine, the combination of a magazine ontrance provided with a plurailty of partitions dividing it intol channels, with adjustable leaf sections attached at their upper ends to the partitions a given distance from the delivery end of the entrance, a

movable strip engaging the respective leaf arranged to engage the leaf sections at relatively different hinges. a

8. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a magazine entrance provided with a plurality of partitions dividing it into channels, with leaf sections fixed to certain of the partitions and formed with bent-over flan es for guiding the matrices by their pro ecting ears, leaf sections hinged to the other partitions and formed without such flanges, and 0ppoints below their respective crating means connected witlr the hinged leaf sections so that all of them will be adjusted simultaneously to different relative extents across said channels at each operation of said means.

9. In a typographical distributing. machine, the combination of a magazine entrance provided with a plurality of" partitions dividing it into channels of different widths, with leaf sections fixed tocertain of the partitions and formed with bentover flanges for guiding the matrices by their projecting ears, leaf sections hinged,

to other partitions and formed without such flanges, and means engaging the said hinged leaf sections at different points below their respective hinges for adjusting them to different relative extents according to the able strip engaging the leaf sections and operable'at will to adjust them relatively to the partitions, and means for indicating such adjustments.

11. A combination as in claim 7 charac- 7 terized by the fact that the pins therein referred to are located between the leaf sections and the partitions to which said sections are hinged.

12. A combination as in claim 7 characterized by the fact that the leaf sections therein referred to are freely hinged to their respective partitions.

In testimony whereof,v I have aflixed my 30 signature hereto.

ALFRED W. F. GUEST. 

